Every year, an estimated 7.5 million unnecessary medical and surgical procedures are performed in the United States. Hundreds of thousands of people are put at risk.
Unnecessary surgery is defined as “surgical intervention that is either not needed, not indicated, or not in the patient’s best interest when weighed against other available options, including conservative measures”. Depending on the circumstances, an unnecessary surgical procedure can give rise to a medical malpractice lawsuit against the surgeon.
Common unnecessary procedures
There are variety of common surgical procedures which are performed even when they are not necessary under the circumstances. These procedures include:
Coronary bypasses
Patients with severe but stable heart disease who are treated with medications and lifestyle advice alone may be no more at risk of a heart attack or death than those who undergo invasive surgical procedures such as bypass surgery.
Heart stents
A randomized controlled trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine led to the conclusion that stents make little to no difference in the heart health of patients.
Hip and knee replacements
In many cases, these procedures may be no more effective than non-invasive alternatives such as exercise, weight management, physical therapy and drug treatment.
Caesarean sections
A Caesarean section can save lives. But the procedure can also put women and babies at unnecessary risk of short- and long-term health problems if performed when there is no medical need for it.
Hysterectomies
Nearly 1 out of 5 hysterectomies done for reasons other than cancer are unnecessary.
Spinal fusions
Given the lucrativeness of spinal fusion surgery, some surgeons and medical device makers may push for unnecessary operations.
Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy
Surgical meniscus repair was found to be no more effective than sham surgery (placebo surgery). A number of studies concluded that the procedure was ineffective, unnecessary, and dangerous.
Cardiac angioplasty
According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) about 12 percent of all angioplasty surgeries weren’t medically necessary.
Cardiac pacemakers
A pacemaker can be a life-saving device when deemed medically necessary. When unnecessarily implanted in a patient, however, it can lead to serious problems and even death.
Radical prostatectomy
Research published in The New England Journal of Medicine indicated that while otherwise healthy men with advanced prostate cancer may benefit greatly from surgery, many with this diagnosis have no need for it.
Tonsillectomies
According to one study, 7 in every 8 children who have their tonsils removed are unlikely to benefit from the operation.
Gallbladder removal
Cholecystectomy is one of the most common surgeries in the United States. However, the procedure is usually not necessary unless there are severe symptoms.
Why unnecessary surgical procedures are performed
What would motivate a surgeon to even consider performing unnecessary surgical procedures? There are a few possible explanations. The most obvious? Surgeons operate because that’s what they’re trained to do. The surgeon’s mindset is that “it has always been done this way”. So, they may fail to determine that the surgery is not warranted by the patient’s condition or may not realize that there are safer or more effective non-surgical treatments.
Fortune and fame can also play a role in unnecessary surgeries. Surgeons may be incentivized to perform surgical procedures either for financial gain, renown, or both.
Surgeons may have a tendency to associate surgical volume with status. Patients can be impressed with volume as well. Given the choice, most people would prefer to have the procedure performed by a surgeon who has done a procedure thousands of times as opposed to a surgeon who has performed just a few.
Problems resulting from unnecessary surgeries
As a result of unnecessary surgery, victims may endure:
- unnecessary disability
- unnecessary lifestyle changes
- unnecessary risk of infections
- unnecessary scars and wounds
- unnecessary financial costs
- unnecessary time off work and lost income
- unnecessary pain and suffering
Some of the complication risks that come with any kind of surgery include hemorrhaging, infection, damage to internal organs, anesthesia errors and others. After the surgery, the patient must go through an often-lengthy period of recovery.
Unnecessary surgeries can be extremely harmful to an elderly patient’s quality of life. This is especially the case if the unnecessary procedure is one that requires a long period of recovery.
If you or a loved one were seriously injured from what you believe to be an unnecessary surgery, call Comitz Law at 570-829-1111 or email info@comitzlaw.com to speak with a knowledgeable personal injury attorney.